Matthew 5:17-20

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From a Particular Baptist perspective, William Gadsby:

Gadsby's Questions About the Law

The following article was taken from William Gadsby's work The Present State of Religion where he dealt with the law as a rule of conduct for the Christian.
Dear Sir, Friend G. informs me you wish me to write to you, and inform you what law it is that I say the believer is in no sense under. I therefore write to say (though I cannot help thinking you must know) that it is the law given to Moses on Mount Sinai, commonly called the moral law, or ten commandments, recorded in Exod 20, and hinted at, with its curses annexed to it, in Deut 27. This is the law I intend, and do venture to say that the believer in Christ is in no sense whatever under it; so that it is not a rule of life to that man who is led by the Spirit. As you promised to answer me if I should write to you, I will propose to you a few questions, and I hope I shall do it in the fear of God, and shall expect you to answer them In plainness of speech; and,.......

....................)

Yours, tried, and condemned, upon the evidence of Diotrephes, by the Associated Ministers,
LOVE-TRUTH
Manchester, Aug. 8, 1806.

James,
Thanks for this- I'm copying and studying. Wow! I haven't seen this perspective in predestinarian circles. But I haven't been around. Thanks again to everyone from me too! May I pose the question again:

Have the jots and tittles passed away?
 
Matthew 5:18 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Has all been fulfilled?

Thanks Scott,
I'll take a swing at it.

The 'already and not yet'!
Yes, I think it is already fulfilled. For two reasons.

First, when He said, "I came not to destroy but to fulfill..." it's safe to say that His first coming (and not His second coming) is in view because we know there has been a change in the law at His crucifixion. Certainly the jots and tittles in the dietary and sacrificial laws are no longer in effect. And He did say 'not ONE jot or tittle shall pass....' Also, He was not teaching or discussing last things at this time in the sermon on the mount.

Second, "til heaven and earth pass away" at first glance seems to mean 'never', but there are a couple reasons not to be too hasty. There is good reason to assume Christ was not talking about longevity of covenant but durability of covenant, as in, "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for God to dishonor His covenants." Luke 16:17 says, " But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tittle of the law to fall."

His accomplishing redemption is more grand and more profound than the reordering of fallen creation. In fact redemption is the basis of reordering.
Also I hold to the less compelling argument from Gordon: language expressing cosmological catastophy is used in the passing away of governments: Babylon for example, and Jerusalem in 70AD also.
 
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Heb 8:13. "In that he saith, A new covenant he hath made the first old. But that which is becoming old and waxeth aged is nigh unto vanishing away. "

'Passing away' and 'vanishing away' are the same thing. Christ speaks of jots and tittles passing away. For Jerusalem, it certainly seemed as though the heaven and earth were passing away too.

The jots and tittles have passed away. The letter is gone, the spirit remains.
 
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